Canadian airline Air Transat will begin cancelling flights on Monday and suspend all operations Tuesday in anticipation of a potential pilots’ strike on Wednesday.
The airline, one of Canada’s largest, announced the shutdown after the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) issued a 72-hour strike notice on Sunday. The union’s 750 pilots at Air Transat voted 99% in favour of authorizing a strike amid stalled contract negotiations to replace a 2015 agreement.
“No pilot wants to strike, but Air Transat management has left us no choice,” said Capt Bradley Small, a union leader. “If we cannot reach an agreement, management will be responsible for every cancelled flight and stranded passenger.”
Air Transat called the strike notice “premature” and accused the union of indifference in its “reckless decision.”
“This strike notice is premature given the progress made at the bargaining table and the generous offers made by Air Transat,” said Julie Lamontagne, a human resources officer at the airline.
She said the cancellations are necessary to prevent crews, passengers, and aircraft from being stranded abroad.
The union says pilots are seeking “industry-standard pay, benefits, work rules, and job security” after nearly a year of negotiations. The planned strike follows a similar threat last year from the airline’s flight dispatchers, which was ultimately averted.
By James Kisoo
